Cafe Carmel

Cafe Carmel in Bacton is a cosy little café-bar with big “come in, warm up, stay awhile” energy. It’s proudly vegan (with plenty of gluten-free options too), serving homemade comfort food like soups, cakes, ploughmans, sandwiches, and the kind of pastries that make you rethink every snack choice you’ve ever made.

It’s a lovely stop after a beach mooch or a village wander, with that friendly, chatty atmosphere where the owners actually seem delighted you’ve appeared, windswept and hungry. Bonus points: it’s properly dog-friendly, so you can refuel without doing the awkward “one of us waits outside holding the lead” shuffle.